CVE-2026-92423 in Meow Gallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/20/2026
The Meow Gallery WordPress plugin before 5.5.5 does not perform a proper capability check or restrict results to the requesting user's own posts before returning post data, allowing authenticated users with Author-level access and above to disclose the titles, authors, dates and statuses of other users' draft and private posts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2026
The vulnerability identified in Meow Gallery WordPress plugin versions prior to 5.5.5 represents a critical failure in server-side access control mechanisms, specifically manifesting as an Insecure Direct Object Reference or Broken Access Control flaw. This issue stems from the application's inability to properly validate user permissions against the specific data resources being requested. When authenticated users with Author-level privileges and above interact with the plugin’s API endpoints, the backend logic fails to enforce strict capability checks that would restrict query results to only those posts owned by the requesting user. Instead, the system processes requests without adequately filtering the dataset based on the current session's identity or ownership attributes. This architectural oversight allows any authenticated user possessing elevated privileges to bypass intended isolation boundaries between different content creators within a multi-author WordPress environment.
From a technical perspective, the core defect lies in the absence of proper authorization logic during data retrieval operations. In secure web application design, every request for sensitive information must be accompanied by verification that the requester has explicit permission to view or modify that specific resource. Here, the plugin returns comprehensive metadata including post titles, author identifiers, publication dates, and current status flags such as draft or private without verifying if the requesting user is the actual owner of these posts. This lack of object-level authorization means that an attacker can iterate through potential post IDs or utilize existing endpoints to harvest information about other users' unpublished work. The vulnerability effectively transforms standard authenticated access into a tool for unauthorized data aggregation, bypassing WordPress's native role-based access control system which should otherwise prevent lower-privileged users from viewing private content belonging to others.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant in collaborative environments where multiple authors contribute content with varying levels of sensitivity. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker can perform information disclosure attacks that compromise the confidentiality and integrity of unpublished materials. The exposure of draft post titles and statuses reveals strategic business plans, upcoming product launches, or sensitive editorial decisions before they are ready for public consumption. Furthermore, revealing author identities alongside private content facilitates targeted social engineering campaigns against specific individuals within the organization. This leakage undermines trust among contributors and can lead to reputational damage if confidential drafts are leaked externally. The ability to enumerate post statuses also aids attackers in mapping out the site's structure and identifying potentially vulnerable areas for further exploitation, such as locating posts that might have other known vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Improper Access Control, which describes situations where an actor is able to access resources they are not authorized to view or modify. It also maps directly to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it relies on legitimate authentication credentials to gain unauthorized access to restricted data. Additionally, the specific mechanism of accessing objects without proper authorization corresponds to CWE-639 Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key, although in this context, the key is often implicit within the API call structure rather than explicitly user-controlled input like an ID parameter, making it a broader failure in session-based access control validation.
To mitigate this vulnerability, administrators must immediately upgrade the Meow Gallery plugin to version 5.5.5 or later, where these authorization checks have been implemented and validated by the developers. Until patching is possible, implementing Web Application Firewall rules that monitor for anomalous API requests from authenticated users attempting to access non-owned resources can provide a layer of defense in depth. It is also advisable to review WordPress user roles and ensure that only trusted individuals are assigned Author-level or higher privileges, minimizing the potential attack surface. Regular security audits focusing on authorization logic within custom plugins should be conducted to prevent similar flaws where data retrieval operations fail to enforce strict ownership constraints.